I think there would be stuff older than 1921. Roger --- On Tue, 10/13/09, Thomas Stern <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Thomas Stern <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] country music first recordings To: [log in to unmask] Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 12:20 PM Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942 (Paperback) by Tony Russell Bob Pinson cost $30-40 Best wishes, Thomas. -----Original Message----- From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Pete Tinker Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 1:27 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [ARSCLIST] country music first recordings I've been a judge at a local "old-time fiddler's contest" for many years, and there has always been controversy about some tunes. Typically, we only allow tunes that originated at least 75 years ago (we're a little more lenient with the term "old-time"). I can get fooled by an unusual "new" tune, and ballads are even worse. This year we had a disagreement that spilled over into some debate among the judges, contestants, and organizers, so I'm trying to remove some of the guess-work. Here's my question: What is the best written source for determining the earliest recording of a piece of music loosely dubbed "country?" It needs to be affordable to an individual, indexed and somewhat portable. Online would be OK if searchable. Any leads would be very much appreciated. -- Pete Tinker 23257 Gilmore St. West Hills, CA 91307 USA (home) 818 346 5213 (cell) 818 694 5213